Police and Crime Commissioners show their commitment to stamping out anti-social behaviour
28.10.21 - Merseyside
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner is joining her colleagues from up and down the country to show their commitment to stamping out anti-social behaviour (ASB) through a new national report.
‘ASB in Focus’ published by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), showcases some of the initiatives and projects that PCCs have been leading on to prevent ASB, work in partnership to tackle it and ensure victims get the right help.
The report details how PCCs are working with Government, local authorities and wider partners to improve how communities can report anti-social behaviour when it occurs and to ensure that action is taken.
It highlights how Merseyside’s Police Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, has launched her Youth Diversion Fund specifically to focus on supporting activities which divert young people away from acts of anti-social behaviour during Halloween and Bonfire Night.
She has announced that nearly 8,000 young people will be able to enjoy safe, well-managed activities at 28 youth diversionary projects which have been awarded small cash grants totalling more than £48.000 from the Fund.
The publication also details how the Commissioner united with charity ASB Help to run an online workshop attended by more than 30 organisations to raise awareness of the Community Trigger progress.
As well as this work, more than £3.3m has been awarded from the Commissioner’s Crime and Disorder Reduction Grants to the region’s local authorities to address community safety issues in their areas, including ASB, and she has also secured nearly £1.1m through the Safer Streets Fund to invest in lighting, CCTV and security measures for hotspot areas in Liverpool and Wirral.
Emily said: “Anti-social behaviour is often, wrongly, viewed as ‘low-level’, but for victims who are repeatedly and persistently targeted it can have a hugely damaging effect, leaving people too scared to leave their front door and even afraid while they are inside their own home. It causes fear, stress, anxiety, depression.
“I am committed to working with partners to stamp out ASB across Merseyside as part of my priority of building Safer Communities and I have already secured investment for a number of key projects to help make this a reality. This national report sets out how PCCs up and down the country are united in their determination to tackle ASB and make a difference to people in their communities.
“I welcome the partnership approach set out in this new publication and I’m pleased to be among the PCCs featured.”
Alison Hernandez and Jeff Cuthbert, APCC Local Policing Leads, said: “Police and Crime Commissioners are elected to act as the public’s voice in policing, and what we hear right across England and Wales is that anti-social behaviour matters to local people. That is why anti-social behaviour features so prominently in our Police and Crime Plans.
“These issues matter because they affect people’s everyday quality of life. Policing has always tackled serious violence and high-harm criminality - and will continue to do so - but PCCs are also ensuring wider criminality and anti-social behaviour are not neglected in our forces’ priorities and performance activity.”
For more on the PCC’s projects please visit:
- https://www.merseysidepcc.info/news-and-events/news/nearly-8-000-young-people-to-benefit-from-pcc-s-youth-diversion-fund/
- https://www.merseysidepcc.info/news-and-events/news/helping-victims-of-asb-to-get-the-right-response/
- https://www.merseysidepcc.info/news-and-events/news/270-000-secured-to-improve-women-s-feeling-of-safety-on-liverpool-city-region-transport-network/
- https://www.merseysidepcc.info/news-and-events/news/820-000-secured-to-cut-crime-make-streets-of-